A lady named Apo Whang Od (locals pronounced it as Fang Od) is
98-years old and considered as the oldest mambabatok,
from the Butbut tribe, in Buscalan, Kalinga, Philippines. She is petitioned to be considered as
the country’s National Living Treasure. The tattoos on her skin are proof how
powerful she was during her time.
There are several ways of
tattooing around the world, depending on their geographical feature and
culture. In the Northern part of the Philippines, in Buscalan, Kalinga, they
call it Batok. It is an
ancient/tribal form of marking (tattooing)
a warrior after a successful combat against other tribes and significant deeds
for the ladies. Photos above were the first 5 days.
Our tattoo session, few of us
used just one thorn, but no one got an infection. According to my research,
there were instances where others tattoo got infected. But, according to the
residents, Whang Od is using some sort of prayer or something, I don’t know, as
a protection.
It is simple to take care a Batok. Proper cleaning and disinfecting
is a must! I used Petroleum Jelly in every after cleaning, for moisturizing
purposes. Read our Kalinga Adventure here: WhangOd